Date
Cost
Availability
Deposit
Single Supp
| 16 Oct - 23 Oct 2021
£1945.00
6 Spaces
£350.00
£275.00
Book Now
| |
| Day 1 | Meet in Glasgow and drive to Tarbert
1 night Stonefield Castle Hotel |
| Days 2-6 | Travel to Kennacraig for the 2 hour ferry to Islay. Walking and birding on Islay with a day on Jura
5 nights at Bowmore Hotel, Islay |
| Days 7-8 | After breakfast we take the morning
ferry back to Kennacraig and travel
to Lochgilphead, then travel back to
Glasgow the following morning.
1 night Grey Gull Hotel |
| Weather | Autumn in The Hebrides can be
anything from gloriously calm and
sunny to quite cool, wet and windy,
with weather quickly changeable.
Come prepared for everything from
cool, rainy and breezy through to dry,
warm and sunny weather (0-15°C) |
| Walking | Mainly short walks on good tracks,
with longer coastal walks on rougher
ground. Lightweight walking shoes and
boots are advisable. You may also wish
to bring walking poles |
| Meals | All included from dinner on Day 1
to breakfast on Day 8 |
| Insects | Unlikely to be a problem at this time
of year |
| Accom | Double, twin and single ensuite |
Experience thousands of wintering geese, Chough and seaduck
on Islay, with a day on Jura’s rugged coastline watching thousands
of Red Deer in their autumn rut, plus soaring Eagles and Otter.
| * Spectacle of thousands of Barnacle and Greenland White-fronted Geese
|
| * Red Deer rutting with the Paps of Jura as a backdrop
|
| * Hunting raptors including Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin, Golden Eagle
|
| * Chough, Divers, seaduck, Twite and Rock Doves
|
| * Abundance of historical sites round every corner
|
| * Explore Islay and Jura’s rugged coastlines, lochs and bays for a chance of Otter
|
| * RSPB Reserves Loch Gruinart and Oa, with a richness of wildlife to enjoy
|
| Day 1 | We shall meet in Glasgow and begin our
journey towards the Mull of Kintyre and
Kennacraig. Passing the picturesque shores of Loch
Lomond, we shall travel west past Loch Fyne and
Lochgilphead, taking our time to stretch our legs
and birdwatch along the way. We shall then reach
our hotel at Stonefield Castle, where we spend our
first night.
|
| Days 2-6 | We’ll begin the next leg of the journey
from Kennacraig as we wait to board
the ferry. From the harbour, we shall scan for Black
Guillemot, Seal, and gull species. The two-hour ferry
journey will give us time to search the seas for
Great Northern Diver, cetaceans, seabirds such as
Gannet and possibly even a Great Skua.
Arriving on Islay, we’ll explore for the remainder of
the first day, before arriving at our accommodation
for the next five nights, the Bowmore Hotel with
views into the bay. We may not even have to go far
from the door to see Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper
and divers.
Our next three days on Islay will be spent exploring
the best wildlife spots and most famously the
spectacle of arriving wintering geese. Thousands
of Barnacle Geese and Greenland White-fronted
Geese arrive here from the arctic to feed on this
milder coastline and the view is utterly breathtaking.
A highlight of our visit will be the RSPB Reserve
of Loch Gruinart, where a sea of geese will cover
the landscape, a treat for both our eyes and ears.
We shall of course scan for other species such
as Pink-footed, Greylag and Pale-bellied Brent
Geese. More scarce species such as vagrant ‘wild’
Canada Goose, Lesser Canada Goose, also known
as Cackling Goose and Snow Goose will also be
searched for.
Machir Bay dunes and Ardnave Point give us a great
opportunity to look for Red-billed Chough, with Scotland’s largest population here on the island.
Loch Gorm will give us more concentrations of
geese, Whooper Swan, Snipe, Redshank, Shoveler
and Brown Hare. We shall also be on the look-out
for raptors here, such as Hen Harrier, Merlin and
Peregrine.
Down on the south west point of the island, the
rugged Rhinns of Islay peninsula is a good place
to look for Golden Eagle and other raptor species
with Rock Dove, Linnet and Twite all possible too.
The point is a great place to look out to sea for
cetaceans, Eider and Gannet. Looking onto Loch
Indall from the west side, we shall keep a look out
for divers, wintering seaduck such as Long-tailed
Duck and Otter on the rocky shore.
The Oa peninsula on the south east corner
is an RSPB Nature Reserve in a remote and rugged
environment with a good concentration of wildlife.
Looking out towards the American Monument, we
enter the Reserve with grazed grassland, heath, lochs
and cliffs. We shall search for Hen Harrier, Shorteared
Owl, Golden Eagle, and Buzzard over the
land and possibly have a further walk towards the
point. We should find Stonechat, Twite and Chough,
but we’ll look out for any migratory birds that may
be passing through. If it is a clear day, we should
be able to see Northern Ireland from the point.
Islay has a richness of medieval history, Celtic
crosses and warrior grave slabs which we shall pass
on our travels. Islay’s name is famously linked to its
whisky export, so there may be a chance to stop
by a distillery or two. Loch Indall near our hotel
is a perfect place to check for gulls such as Glaucous and Iceland as well as all three species
of diver, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter and
Scaup. As the light fades, flocks of geese drop into
the bay to roost and we may even be treated
to a sunset.
We shall choose a day to go over on the ferry
to Jura to explore this rugged and remote
island, its single road hugging the east coastline.
With only 200 human inhabitants, the island
is home to 6,000 Red Deer and autumn
is the time when these magnificent mammals will
be bellowing in the annual stag rut. With the Paps
of Jura mountain peaks as a backdrop, we shall also
look out for White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle and
Merlin amongst other species. Along the rugged
coastline a keen eye may also spot Otter and seals
out on the rocks.
|
| Days 7-8 | After breakfast we shall say a fond
farewell to this beautiful island as we
take the ferry back to the mainland. On our final
day we shall explore the Mull of Kintyre peninsula
and the wildlife it has to offer. We shall spend this
time exploring inland lochs, coastal lookout spots for
any passing migratory birds and possibly even have
a visit to Taynish National Nature Reserve.
Our final night will be spent at The Grey Gull
hotel, where we shall spend the evening reliving
our highlights of the trip. The next morning, we
shall continue our travels back through stunning
landscape to Glasgow, where we shall say our
farewells.
|
Just some of what we hope to see..
| Barnacle Goose | Pink-footed Goose | Hen Harrier |
| Greenland White-fronted Goose | Pale-bellied Brent Goose | Merlin |
| Red Deer | Long-tailed Duck | Peregrine |
| Chough | Scaup | Twite |
| Twite | Red-throated Diver | Rock Dove |
| Otter | Grey Seal | Glaucous Gull |
| Golden Eagle | Common Seal | Iceland Gull |
| 'Wild' Canada Goose | Great Northern Diver | |
Built in 1837, Stonefield Castle is a fine example of Scottish baronial architecture and still retains much of its original furnishings, wood panelling, ornate ceilings and marble fireplaces.
Beyond its interior splendour, the castle is set in 60 acres of woodland gardens, lapped by the shores of Loch Fyne. It is based just two miles from the idyllic fishing village of Tarbert, one of the most attractive villages on the Mull of Kintyre peninsula.
The hotel has 36 individually and tastefully decorated en suite bedrooms, with views over the gardens and Loch Fyne itself.
|
A family run hotel with eleven bedrooms, all ensuite with free Wifi. The hotel makes excellent use of Islay’s local produce including beef, lamb and seafood all of which is served in the beautifully appointed dining room. The bar stocks a good selection of Islay’s famous malt whiskies and there is also a decking area at the rear of the hotel for al fresco diners with views overlooking Loch Indaal.
|
Overlooking Loch Gilp, an inlet on Loch Fyne, this relaxed, 3-storey inn is a 2-minute walk from Lock 4 of the Crinan Canal. The simple rooms are warmly decorated and feature loch or canal views, plus en suite bathrooms, tea and coffeemaking facilities, and flat-screen TVs.
|
|